


Nightingale

by 157yrs



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Espada orihime, F/M, Gen, human ulquiorra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-07-25 00:50:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16186646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/157yrs/pseuds/157yrs
Summary: Orihime Inoue, the ever elusive and contradicting Fourth Espada, and her human charge, the practical and stubborn Ulquiorra Cifer, shake the very foundation of Las Noches in their attempts to challenge and overcome one another. The reversed roles of prisoner and jailer change everything.





	1. Chapter 1

Dangai

 

“My, oh my. Only two guards? Soul Society is so silly. Oh well, their folly is my fun.”

Ulquiorra Cifer stared in horror at his two escort guards lying pools of their own blood. Neither one was moving. Both of them had been cut clean in half. Even more horrifying was the person standing gleefully over them with her swords drawn.

The first thing he noticed was her hair. It was hard not to notice, her long cinnamon locks were highlighted in red. No one had hair that color. The second thing he noticed was the hole in the middle of her chest where her heart was. The term 'hollow' whispered in his mind, but something was off. He could see her face. She wasn't wearing a mask. Granted, there was a thin, boney white plate that wrapped around the top of her head, like a headband but that was hardly covering her face. The second thing that made him pause was her body. The Woman emitted a hollow like spiritual signature, but her body was that of a human.

His face heated up slightly when he studied her white clothing and how low her coat dipped and exposed her cleavage and how high it cut off to expose her lean and slightly muscular stomach. She looked young, beautiful even, and she had been blessed with many curves. The long, white skirt she wore emphasized those curves. Her facial features, with a full lips and gray eyes that sparkled like stars only amplified her attractiveness. Then the Woman sheathed her sword and Ulquiorra remembered that she wasn't human. She was what they called an Arrancar.

“What? Don't you have anything to say Ulquiorra-kun?” The Woman pouted playfully and winked at him. He frowned deeply, not at all liking the overly familiar way he addressed her.

“It's Ulquiorra. Just Ulquiorra,” He corrected her. Spreading his legs out slightly, he raised a finger at her and a green spec began to form in front of him. The Woman smile grew bigger.

“Yes, the Cero Oscuras,” she giggled like it was all just a game. Ulquiorra gritted his teeth. How did she know about his special attack? No – he needed to stay focused. It was always hard to concentrate and hold the energy so it could grow. He wished he could have saved the guards, but he had no healing abilities or kido like Kuchiki-kun. The only thing he could do was imitate a hollow's spiritual energy and shoot cero's.

“What are you waiting for? Do it,” The Woman commanded and stared solemnly at him. Ulquiorra didn't need to be told twice. Closing his eyes, he unleashed the energy that had formed on his finger tip. The small blip of light grew three times its size and stretched into a geyser as it poured out of Ulquiorra and into the Woman in front of him. He may have been weak. His fighting abilities were very limited. He didn't have Shunpo like the Soul Reapers or a Quincy Bow like Ishida-san, but his Cero Oscuras was powerful. With the closed space of the tunnel and their close proximity, the Woman should have been vaporized.

Ulquiorra watched through the green light as the Woman stroked the hilt of her sword and three yellow lights burst from it. His vision narrowed as he tried to see what the lights were. They were so tiny. They looked like three small skeletal demons with wings…

The seventeen year old watched in disbelief as the three demons formed a triangle around the Woman and emitted a yellow shield. It was transparent and it looked fragile, but when it met the full force of his attack, his Cero Oscuras neutralized on impact. A gust of wind blew his hair back. His green eyes widened in alarm and confusion. The Woman laughed lightly.

“So this is the human that can fire a cero,” she mused and then snapped her fingers. Three blue holo screens immediately formed behind her to reveal the battles taking place in Karakura town. Ulquiorra's heart leaped into his throat when he saw his friend's on the screen, fighting. Kuchiki-kun was fighting.

“For some reason, Master Aizen wants your power. You should come play with me.” Ulquiorra swallowed nervously at the Woman's words. He wasn't disillusioned as to what the term 'play' really meant, but why him? He was just a human. Why would Aizen want someone like him?  
Smiling, the Woman waved her hand and the holo images honed in on the expressions of his friend's faces. Toshiro was grimacing in pain. Kurosaki-san was lying unconscious on the pavement. There was a hole in his stomach - and Kuchiki-san…

“You can stop all this Ulquiorra-kun. Just say the word,” The Woman cooed at him. Ulquiorra frowned deeply, disturbed by the Woman's happy aloofness to such a serious situation.  
“Can you guess what that word is?” She smiled at him and then clapped her hands.

“I love games. Why don't you guess what word I want to hear - hmm? How does that sound. It'll be fun. If you guess right, I'll let your friends live.” Her smile melted into a dangerous frown and her eyes flashed silver, suddenly.

“But if you guess wrong they'll all die. Think of it as a negotiation. You can save the day. Well, what do you say? Won't you come play, Ulquiorra-kun?”


	2. Period of Grace

Period of Grace

 

Orihime watched casually as the human, Ulquiorra Cifer, leaned over an injured and unconscious Soul Reaper. The bracelet she had given him worked perfectly, no one could detect him and even if the Soul Reaper was awake, she doubted that the girl would be much of a threat.

The sun had set in their hand and the proverbial as well as literal darkness had descended. Everyone was asleep. Orihime was aware that Ulquiorra had written a note and left it for the Tenth Captain, Toshiro Hitsugaya and his lieutenant that were both staying in his home, but she had deemed it inconsequential. They wouldn't find the note until after she had departed with the human back to Las Noches; and then it would be too late to do anything.

“Sometimes, I wish that I could be the sun and shine hope into every heart. Then there wouldn't be anymore despair. It is arrogant to assume so much, but it is the deepest wish of my heart.” Ulquiorra was sitting next to the Soul Reaper and holding one of her small hands in his own larger ones. He looked like he was about to cry. Orihime watched in fascination, not completely understanding what he was speaking of.

Were all humans so gloomy? She wasn't sure what illness he spoke of, but whatever the heart was, it sounded terrible.

“It is a childish fantasy, but I'm sure that no matter how many times I die and reborn – you will always have my heart. I'm sure of it. In this life, and the next and the following one and then even the next one and the one after that – you will have my heart.” Orihime watched as Ulquiorra swallowed. He seemed to do a lot of that when he was nervous. Then he leaned his face down towards the injured girl. She though for a moment that he would kiss her, but instead, he merely pressed his forehead to hers.

Orihime assessed her quickly before dismissing her. She was small and her muscle mass was almost non existent, as was her spiritual energy. She was weak. Orihime didn't understand why Ulquiorra was so interested in her. She thought about asking him, but she didn't want to give away her presence. He had as of yet to notice her.

By giving him a period of grace and bid to say farewell to one individual, he was effectively dooming himself. He was drawing the line and pitting himself against his allies, or at least that was what Soul Society would assumed. It would make him a traitor. Humans were so gullible. Ulquiorra Cifer was gullible. It should have made him annoying, but Orihime found that it made him endearing. She was eager to take him back with him.

Giving the human one last glance, Orihime decided that he would follow her orders and keep his presence a secret. She did not need to be there. Turning, she fazed through the material wall and headed towards the park where they would rendezvous.

Her Pesquisa alerted her to the boy's movement.

“You're faster than I thought, Ulquiorra-kun.” She teased. He had arrived at the park only moments after she had. Behind her Cirucci Sanderwicci, Loly Aivirrne, and Menoly Mallia all shifted impatiently. None of them were very fond of humans and if Ulquiorra had come across them without her, she wasn't sure that the Arrancars would have preserved him.

Panting, Ulquiorra watched Orihime warily from the corner of his vision. He kept silent and refused to rise to her baiting. The auburn in turn, smiled and watched in amusement as he tried to collect himself. She was impatient to return, but watching him was interesting. She could do it all night.

“Are we gonna stand here like statues or can we leave already?” Loly grumbled.

“I can't believe we went through all this trouble with the Soul Reapers just to retrieve this week human boy,” Circucci grumbled under her breath. Menoly gave Ulquiorra an appreciative, if not hungry look. Orihime ignored them all. No one liked Negative Nancys.

“Are you ready to go?” She asked the human softly. Ulquiorra slowly nodded, unnerved.

Satisfied, Orihime turned and opened a Garganta. The dark tear throbbed ominously with energy and Ulquiorra watched in apprehension as two of the Arrancars wordlessly entered it and were immediately swallowed up by darkness. The third Arrancar, Circucci, shot Ulquiorra one more nasty look before she too entered and disappeared into the portal.

Orihime could see that the human was frightened but as a hollow, she wasn't well versed in sincere comfort.

“Stay close to me,” she told him at length.

“Wait,” the human protested. Orihime paused and wondered if Ulquiorra was going to suddenly back out of the deal. It wouldn't really matter, she supposed. She could always drag him, but it would have been easier if he cooperated. She measured the pros and cons of knocking him out and carrying him herself. The others would laugh at her, but their opinion didn't really matter anyway. She was distracted from her thoughts when the boy held up a silver, chain bracelet – it was the one she had given him earlier. He was trying to give it back.

Well, this was interesting. Ulquiorra watched her with solemn green eyes and waited for her to take the bracelet.

“Keep it,” she finally said and turned towards the Garganta. Ulquiorra reluctantly followed her.  

They were going to have so much fun.


	3. Las Noches

Las Noches

 

“Welcome to Las Noches, Ulquiorra Cifer.” The human in question, stared apprehensively at Sosuke Aizen as the ruler's smooth voice echoed off of the pristine white walls of Las Noches. He had never been to Hueco Mundo before. It all seemed so lifeless and there wasn't any color. Well - Ulquiorra amended as he spared the Woman standing next to him a quick glance – almost any color. The Woman's hair stood out so strikingly against the white. He was sure she wasn't anything like the other Arrancar.

Ulquiorra grunted suddenly when the Woman elbowed him. He frowned deeply at her before realizing that she was trying to get him to focus.

“I trust you had a safe journey,” Aizen was saying. Ulquiorra felt very small standing before the large throne and the former Soul Reaper on it.

“Yes thank you.” He told Aizen quietly and lowered his eyes. The whole atmosphere was suffocating. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and more now than ever the feeling of 'I shouldn't be here' made him very skittish.

“Oh-oomph!” Ulquiorra grunted when the Woman shifted restlessly an 'accidentally' bumped into him. He narrowed his eyes at her and she giggled. The other three Arrancar standing in the room ignored him. Aizen smiled in amusement.

“Then the mission was a success,” His words were smooth and orderly and it was clear that it was to be the end of the conversation but one of the Arrancar females suddenly scoffed and stomped her foot. Everyone's eyes turned to her and an awkward silence followed.

“Is there a problem, Cirucci?” Aizen asked after a moment. His question was harmless and pleasant, but Ulquiorra detected a dangerous undertone. The Arrancar – Cirucci – didn't seem to notice. She scoffed again. Aizen inclined his head slightly.

“It seems that not everyone is pleased with my orders,” he started to explain.

“Isn't that right, Cirucci?”

At the sound of her name, the Arrancar straightened. Her hair was black and she looked human enough, but her eyes were purple and there was something menacing about the way she carried herself.

“That's right Lord Aizen,” she told him coldly.

“I don't see why we had to go through all the trouble. The Soul Reapers we fought were resilient. It doesn't seem right that we were dragged through the mud and injured just so we could retrieve this weak, useless human boy. The task was beneath us,” she told him resentfully.

“No human can shoot a cero.”

Behind her, the other two Arrancars watched her apprehensively. Their eyes darted back and forwards between Cirucci and Aizen repeatedly, as if waiting for something. The one female in particular, the one with pigtails, watched with a dark sort of pleasure and anticipation. Ulquiorra wondered what sort of terrible world he had been dragged into.

The Woman alone seemed to be completely oblivious to the tense situation. When she saw that he was studying her, she gave Ulquiorra a wink and he quickly turned away flustered.  
“If you feel so strongly about his usefulness, then why don't we have a demonstration. What do you say, Ulquiorra?” Aizen reasoned. Ulquiorra swallowed when he realized that it wasn't a request. They wanted him to shoot a cero? Here?

Cirucci crossed her arms and jeered at him.

“I know, why don't you come at him Cirucci,” Aizen suggested and Ulquiorra's eyes widened in alarm. He couldn't be serious...

“If you can eliminate him, then that will be the end of it.” Aizen smiled and leaned back into his throne casually. Ulquiorra realized with a sudden panic that he would have to kill the Arrancar or be killed himself. It was an impossible situation. He looked desperately at the Woman next to him.

She mouthed the words, 'You'll do great,' to him. As if that would help.

“Very well. Are you listening boy? I'm going to skin you alive and cut that little head of your right off your shoulders.” Cirucci drawled closer to him. Ulquiorra felt his palms begin to sweat. He was frightened. He had been backed into a corner. He had used his Cero Oscuras before, of course, but not like this. Not like it was some game.

“Now, die!” Cirucci shouted suddenly.

He was going to die unless he acted. Watching the Arrancar closely, Ulquiorra waited until she charged before raising his finger and shooting a green cero at her. It was like blowing a candle out. One moment she was there and the next she was gone.The energy from it instantly vaporized her. When the light from the energy blast cleared, all that remained of her was a shadow of her outline. It was scorched into the white pavement where she had stood only moments ago.

Ulquiorra swallowed. He was going to be sick. He was disturbed. What had he done? He started to hyperventilate. They had made him – Aizen had made him – he had killed -

“Oh yeah!” A voice suddenly shouted. Ulquiorra looked blearily over to the pigtailed Arrancar that had just shouted. She had her fist raised into the air and there was a maddeningly gleeful expression on her face.

“That bitch is gone and Loly Aivirrne is once again the Sixth Espada!” He could barely understand her words. Loly was happy? The Arrancar were comrades. Why would they rejoice when one of their own had been destroyed? It didn't make any sense.

Ulquiorra nearly collapsed when the Woman suddenly slapped his back and smiled brightly at him.

“I knew you could do it!”


	4. The Uniform

The Uniform

 

“Awe - you haven't put on your uniform yet,” The Woman whined from the doorway that led into Ulquiorra's room. It was small and her cheerful voice boomed and ricocheted off the walls. The human jumped.

“Did I scare you Ulquiorra? Did I? Did I?” The Arrancar teased. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes. Why did she have to make such a fuss?

“I'm not wearing the uniform Woman,” he told his warden flatly. He spared the white uniform lying innocently on the couch - in his small and lonely prison cell - one last glance before turning back to the Woman's silhouette standing in the doorway. He had learned that his warden's name was Orihime Inoue and that she was Aizen's Fourth Espada, but that didn't make any difference to him.

Orihime, however, did not particularly care for his way of addressing her. She narrowed her eyes momentarily, before she remembered that she had her own pet nickname for him. Giggling, she smiled and took a step closer to him.

“I like your defiance. Maybe you want to play another game?” she cajoled. Ulquiorra's brow furrowed at her advance and he took a hesitant step back even though he was well out of her immediate area.

"I don't like games,” he growled slightly. The Woman sighed at him.

“Oh, Ulquiorra-kun. You're always frowning. You need to learn how to smile. You remind me of the rain,” despite her chiding, her tone almost sounded dreamy. Ulquiorra did not like the way that she was looking at him. He watched warily as the Woman sauntered around him and towards the couch. She gave him a wide girth.

“Hmm, what game should we play?” Her words were sugary sweet as she batted her eyelashes at him.

Ulquiorra didn't understand how she could be an Espada. She was all smiles and giggles and games. He also suspected she may have been somewhat of a ditz. That combined with her admittedly attractive countenance made her the least likely person he would have ever suspected of being dangerous.

“I know – we can play dress up!” Orihime exclaimed as she picked up the white uniform. Before Ulquiorra had time to process her words, she was suddenly upon him and pushing him onto the couch. His heart dropped into his stomach at the surprise and rush of it all. He had no idea she was so strong. She had picked him up like he was as light as a feather. Her speed too – he hadn't even seen her move – it had caught him unprepared.

“If you won't put it on, I will dress you.” The Woman pinned herself down over him and straddled her leg between both of his while maintaining her balance with the other one on the floor beside the couch. Ulquiorra felt warmth spread across his cheeks when her stomach pressed into his. His heart rushed back into his chest where it started to dance in his ribcage.

“I'm not wearing that,” Ulquiorra insisted, calling her bluff. At his words, the Woman's eyes positively sparkled and his breath rushed out of him when she flashed him a dazzling smile. Why did she have to be so pretty?

“Oh goody!” she exclaimed. There was a sudden tearing sound and Ulquiorra felt a sudden whirl of wind that made him shiver. Looking down, he was stunned to find his torso completely bare. The Woman had ripped his school shirt clean off.

“I was hoping you'd say that,” Orihime told him, her voice suddenly sultry. Ulquiorra became aware of how vulnerable he actually was, lying pinned down below the Espada. She was so much stronger than him. He doubted she would let him move, even if he had tried to get a up. And the way that she was staring at him – it was like she was devouring him with her eyes. He felt awkward and unsure.

“I like your defiance,” the Woman told him, her sultry voice dropping to a near whisper. It made  
Ulquiorra feel ashamed – ashamed because she made him feel warm and appreciated, like the way a woman appreciated a man. It was wrong. His heart belonged to Kuchiki-san. Orihime was the enemy; but he couldn't deny that she excited him.

His pulse accelerated when her hands caressed his jaw. Leaning down, her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply.

“Human, oh Ulquiorra-kun – your smell...” Leaning in, he sucked in a ragged breath when her form pressed more into him. His poor brain could barely keep up. Why was she doing this? Should he tell her to stop? Why did he feel so carnal? Why did his hands suddenly itch to wrap around her. He didn't understand – and was that her mouth!?

He gulped audible, when she pressed an open mouth kiss to his neck, over his pulse. He had never been in such a situation. He was only seventeen. Ofcourse he had the occasional dream of Kuchiki wrapped up in a blanket with him on the couch, but nothing like this. He felt her hands travel down his pectorals before passing midway over his stomach muscles. It was pure torture. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to remove her hands or lower them further.

“You can open your eyes, Ulquiorra-kun.” Orihime giggled and Ulquiorra's green eyes shot open wide having not remembered closing them. He looked up at the Woman that was all but lying on top of him. He could see his own reflection in her shimmering gray eyes. He felt like prey.  
Lowering her head, he watched as if time stood still when she leaned down and began to kiss her way down his stomach. Gasping, he arched sharply into her. The blood in his ears had drown out his own noises he was making. Then he felt the sudden rush of cool air below his waist and realized that she had ripped open the fastenings of his pants.

“Now it's time to remove these,” she teased.

“No!” And then Ulquiorra was pushing her off of him – or rather Orihime allowed her ward to escape. She tilted her head and watched with a smile as he panted heavily and sat up. He was sweating slightly and his cheeks were red. He refused to make eyes contact and there was a sheen a sweat around him.

“I'll wear the uniform,” he told her quietly.

He was so young.

Still, she had to admit that the scent of his arousal had nearly stirred her instincts. She had almost gone too far. Orihime watched a moment longer as Ulquiorra reached down and gingerly picked up with the white clothing before sparing her a nervous look.

Sighing quietly, she turned abruptly on her heels and marched out.

“I'll be back to retrieve your old clothing in one hour.”


	5. The Fourth Tower

The Fourth Tower

 

The fourth espada wandered down the long hallway that led to the fourth tower. The servants in her path quickly scattered and the numerous that happened to be nearby made themselves scarce. Orihime beamed at their patheticness. They were vermin, trash - not worth the dirt on the bottom of her shoes.

The fourth was momentarily reminded of days long gone bye. As she ascended the tower’s steps, she allowed her mind to drift to the utter silence and nothing that was the void. Lord Aizen had made Las Noches pristine and white and controlled but it was not the void. Not that it really mattered. Las Noches was nothing. The Arrancar were nothing and once the fourth had outlived her purpose to Lord Aizen she too would be nothing.

Everything had an end. Everything died.

The boy was different.

Unlike the rest of them, he was actually alive. He breathed. He moved. He felt. He was. He lived. Not like the Arrancar. Not like the listless creatures that existed and thrived on darkness and pain. No. The boy was different. He thrived on something else. It wasn’t so basic or obvious as food. No it was something elusive but nevertheless there.

It was puzzling. Orihime had no name for it; the strange drive that gave the human the courage to stand up to her. To look her in the eye. To have faith in her friends. The fourth briefly thought of the boy leaning over the Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki. Whatever power he had, it wasn’t infallible.

Once Orihime reached the top floor, she pause in annoyance when she sensed the Sixth Espada, Loly Aivirrne pacing outside of Ulquiorra’s room. The fourth tower was Orihime’s domain and if she cared more, Orihime might have reprimanded the intruder.

Once Loly saw Orihime she scowled and quickly stomped over to her.

“I can’t get inside,” Loly snarled at her. Orihime tucked her hands into the pockets of her skirts and watched the Sixth amusingly. The fourth had purposely locked the door when she had left. No doubt the boy’s presence would cause all sorts of trouble.

“I want to get inside,” Loly continue. Her eyes flashed dangerously. Orihime giggled and stepped around her.

“Silly,” she admonished and pulled a key out of her pocket. However, when she went to open the door, she found that the door was ajar had the lock had been melted off. Orihime turned to Loly, silently demanding an explanation. If the boy had been hurt, Aizen would hold the fourth responsible.

“The human bastard barricaded himself in. I only wanted to talk to him,” Loly huffed. Orihime smiled at her.

“ I see.” Then her smiled quickly faded until only a deadpanned, stone faced expression remained.

“Leave,” she told the Sixth in a cold, empty voice. Loly shivered, hearing the promise of violence behind it. Normally, she would have jumped at the chance to fight Orihime, but not now. Not when the Rukia Kuchiki was bound to come and rescue her friend. Not when she could have another chance at fighting the little Soul Reaper.

“The human bastard wasn’t worth my time anyway,” she muttered and punched the wall. The Fourth stared, completely unfazed. Turning around, Loly sulked off.

When she finally left, the dark shadows under Orihime’s eyes faded and her sharp features melted into a familiar, beguiling smile.

“I’m coming in,” she called out in a singsong voice before opening the boy’s door.

Not a moment later, a green cero came whizzing by and hit the wall not five centimeters from Orihime’s ear. A quiet gasp followed.

“I’m so sorry! I thought you were that Arrancar with the pigtails,” Ulquiorra explained in a quiet, panicked filled voice before quickly crawling out from his hiding place behind the couch. Orihime stepped fully into the room and studied the boy.

He had not been harmed from Loly’s little excursion. Her eyes move to scan the room. Silently, she noted the couch that had been dragged into the far corner and the dining table and chair that had been stacked over it. Did the boy really think that such a pathetic thing would have saved him?

“You scared me. When did you get here?” he continued.

“Just this moment. Don’t make such a fuss. It’s very annoying,” Orihime chided and flicked Ulquiorra’s forehead. He flinched.

“Now come. Lord Aizen has summoned you,” she told her charge and gracefully turned away and exited through the door. Ulquiorra wilted under her words. It didn’t looked like he could refuse her. He was clearly expected obey.

Poking his head out the door, he frowned when he realized the corridor was empty. Where had Orihime gone? His eyes desperately scanned over the white tiles on the walls and floor. Where was everyone?

A flash of flaring red caught his attention, and Ulquiorra moved to hurry after it just as it disappeared around a corner.

“Wait! Please wait,” he called out in frustration. Running, he turned the corner so quickly that he lost his footing and slide face first into the adjacent wall. How humiliating!

Pulling away, Ulquiorra searched for his warden desperately but she was nowhere to be seen. Where could she have gone? Should he try to find her or maybe go back to his room? Closing his eyes, he reached out with his senses and tried to locate her reiatsu. It as the first time that he had consciously sought her out.

At once he became aware of a massive power laced with a menacing coldness. It was unnatural, it was cruel, and it was… leaving?

Opening his eyes, Ulquiorra began to hone in on her reiatsu. Why hadn’t he noticed the danger that her reiatsu emitted? He had let his guard down. He had let her jokes and silly smiles to distract him. How could he forget? The woman was an Arrancar. She had slaughtered his escorts.

As if sensing his sudden anxiety, the woman’s energy began to move farther away from him. Gasping, Ulquiorra chased after her and tried to latch onto the presence but the Fourth was moving too fast. Up and down the hall he ran. At first he was afraid of bumping into another hollow but there was no one. Just white. White floors. White walls. White ceilings. And silence. Corridor after corridor of silence. There was nothing. Ulquiorra briefly entertained the fear of going mad.

Turning another corner, the human skidded to a halt when he reached a large, double doorway.

Unlike all the other doors that he had passed, this one was opened. He tried to peer inside but it was dark and there were no lights from within.

“Welcome Ulquiorra. Please come in. I have been expecting you,” a voice called. Crossing his arms defensively, Ulquiorra realized that it was Aizen’s voice. So this is where he was suppose to meet him.

Glancing around nervously, Ulquiorra looked down the corridor had then behind him, but there was no sign of Orihime. It would appear that he would be going in alone. Hollow or no, he suddenly wished for her company. Sighing and mentally bracing himself, Ulquiorra slowly stepped into the darkness. As soon as he was completely inside, the doors shut behind him.

Outside and leaning against the wall, Orihime waited with an empty look in her eyes.

Everything had an end. Everything died.


	6. Hogyoku

Hogyoku

 

"I'm glad you've come Ulquiorra," Aizen called. Warily, Ulquiorra followed the sound of his voice. It wasn't quite as dark inside the room as he had originally thought. Once the doors behind him and shut and blocked out the bright light from outside, a glow dim had slowly shone from the far end of the room.

There he found a balcony with a lone chair facing out into the dark, white dessert. As he stepped out into the balcony, Ulquiorra found that he wasn’t alone. On either side of the archways stood two Numeros. The one on the right was a tall, lanky male with long black hair and a wicked smile that showed too much teeth.The other one wasn’t quite as tall, but what he lacked in height he made more than up for in muscles. Ulquiorra fought down a shiver as he studied the man’s unusually blue hair color. There was nothing natural about either one of them.

“Sorry to call you here on such short notice, but there was something very important that I wanted to show you,” Aizen continued and gracefully rose from his chair.

“Grimmjow, Nnoitra - leave us,” he commanded.

“What!?” The taller one growled.

“But he’s an outsider. The enemy. We can’t take any chances,” the blue haired one scoffed.

Aizen shot them both scathing looks.

Realizing that they had both over stepped their bounds, the Numeros both fell to one knee and offered a bow in unison. Ulquiorra took note of the naked fear on their faces.

“Excuse us sir.” the blue haired one gritted out. Both of them quickly left the room, both passing by Orihime unknowingly, who stood outside silently and waited.

“That pathetic human,” Nnoitra growled.

“How are we going to become Espada if Aizen is going to replace us with that human?” Grimmjow snarled.

Back inside, Aizen led Ulquiorra to the center of the balcony and used a small portion of his reiatsu to activate a safe that rose from the ground.

“Now then, this is what I wanted to show you Ulquiorra.”

The green eyed boy fought off a gasp as the safe rose on a platform and opened to reveal a small, clear gem inside. The power radiating off of it was enough to take his breath away.

‘This power I’m feeling. It could only be...’

Aizen watched Ulquiorra knowingly.

“You can sense it, can’t you? You know it’s the Hogyoku.”

Sweat rolled off of Ulquiorra’s forehead. There was a small cubed barrier around the gem, but it did nothing to smolder the energy emitting from it. The bright gem glistened in the moonlight.

“What you might not know is this, it’s still asleep.”

Ulquiorra turned his eyes sharpy to Aizen, unable to believe that such a powerful thing was still dormant.

“It will awaken soon. Without the Hogyoku it is impossible to fashion Arrancar or create the Oken,” Aizen explained. Ulquiorra fought back the horrifying thought of what it might feel like once it awoke. Kuchiki-kun’s face flashed before him. He could not let Aizen use such a thing to hurt his friends.

Aizen continued to watch Ulquiorra intently.

“I’ve chosen to show this to you for one reason. To prove that I trust you.”

Ulquiorra frowned deeply. He did not like this game. As soon as the words left Aizen’s mouth, he knew that the man was lying, but why?

“You have a phenomenal power,” Aizen went on and then boldly stepped into Ulquiorra personal space. He was so much taller than him and the green eyed boy fought the urge to back up.

“You can forge and release the green cero. What did you call it? The Cero Oscuras? An interesting if not an inaccurate description of it. Nevertheless, it is incredibly impressive with enough power to outrival the Gran Rey Cero that so many of my Espada seem to favor. It’s inconceivable for a human to possess such a power and yet you do.

“It is a power that is very useful to me. Ulquiorra, you’ll use your power for me won’t you?”

Ulquiorra fought to keep his face aloof as he stared Aizen down. A despicable image slowly wormed it’s way into Ulquiorra’s mind and he knew instinctively that it was Aizen’s doing. Before him, the room melted away. Aizen and the Hogyoku suddenly forgotten

In it’s place was the throne room. There stood the woman on one side, smiling and raising her sword at some unknown enemy. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring at himself as he stood beside her. But it was all wrong.

He was so pale, so still. His posture was rigid. There was a sword at his side that he had never seen before. This other Ulquiorra who was not him had such lifeless eyes that seemed to forever bleed tears. Even more terrifying was the cold darkness emitting from the hole in his chest.

Where was his heart!?

Ulquiorra studied his counterpart unwillingly until the angle changed and through his doppelganger chest, he saw the bright color of red and beyond the hole, he saw bodies lying motionless on the once white tiles of Las Noches’s throne room.

There were countless bodies. Most of them were face down, dressed in black but a few of them lied face up. Those whose faces he could see were dressed differently. Ulquiorra shook as he studied the scene in the hole. One of the bodies was a male with orange hair. Kurosaki-san. One of the bodies was a female with short hair. Arisawa-san.  Another was a young man with glasses. Ishida-kun. The one beside him was taller with darker skin. Ulquiorra felt a knot form in his throat when he realized that he was staring at his best friend. Chad. The last one though, the small female with the dark hair was the one that brought him to his knees. It was Kuchiki-kun.

No!

“NO!” Wrenching himself from the vision, Ulquiorra turned away from Aizen and blindly fled the room.

Once outside, he fell to his knees and dry heaved. That terrible vision echoed in his mind like a marring scar. He saw his friends lying behind that dead version of himself. He saw their blood on his hands. What was that horrible feeling in his chest?

Aizen wanted Ulquiorra to use his powers for him? To hurt his friends? The human began to hyperventilate. His heart began to beat faster in warning.

Behind him, Orihime watched the human serenely. Now he was broken. It was nothing new to her. Everything had an end. Everything died. It appeared that the human was no exception.

“Come, I’ll take you back to your room,” she called and moved to grab his arm. Instead of complying, though, Ulquiorra tore his arm from her grasp.

“No!” he shouted and quickly righted himself. Orihime watched with a raised eyebrow as the human shook and fought to regain his composure. Once his trembling stopped, she was intrigued to find a strange defiance in his gaze.

“I won’t become like that. I won’t be what Aizen wants,” he told her. His voice was laced with stubbornness. Hmmm. Perhaps she had underestimated him.

Ulquiorra watched uneasily as Orihime’s stony face transformed into a beautiful smile.

“Whatever you say Ulquiorra-kun!”


	7. Meal Time

Meal Time

 

Ulquiorra watched in apprehension as an Arrancar servant wheeled in a tray of food. It had been a full day since he had left the human world and now he was starving. Las Noches’ stifling atmosphere made him hesitant. His encounter with Aizen yesterday had given him a terrible headache. Perhaps this was another game? Off to the side by the doorway, stood the fourth espada, Orihime Inoue. When she noticed Ulquiorra’s questioning glance at her, she smiled cheekily at him.

“It’s meal time,” she explained in a bright voice. Ulquiorra swallowed thickly and watched distractedly as the nameless Arrancar left. He hadn’t had a chance to thank him for his meal...

“I didn’t know Arrancar ate human food,” he told Orihime quietly. His statement was more of a question. The secret fear that they were going to feed him the remains of a hollow caused him a great deal of anxiety. They were in Hueco Mundo afterall. Isn’t that what hollows did? Cannibalize each other? Ulquiorra wasn’t a hollow so it wouldn’t technically be cannibalization; but it didn’t sit well with him. Corrupt or not, that was still someone’s soul wasn’t it? His hunger was forgotten. What would his friends think?

Orihime noticed the human’s expression and giggled.

“Everyone has to eat, silly.”

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. He didn’t like the woman’s games.

“Your vague words have done nothing to reassure me,” he told her in a clipped tone.

Orihime raised an eyebrow, surprised at his assertiveness. In the twenty four hours since his arrival, Ulquiorra had never once risen to her baiting. Still…

The fourth felt the familiar, but well hidden sensation of disgust coil in her stomach. What did he want her to say? Why was he questioning her? He knew what hollows were. Was he hoping that she didn’t eat souls? Or perhaps he was trying to mold her into something relatable with his own human habits to ease his fears. Orihime’s smile stretched so far across her face that if she were mortal, it would have hurt.

“You’re so silly! Everyone knows humans are dumb and fragile, but you don’t have to pretend anymore!” she told him in a happy, earnest voice. Then the facade melted away and her tone became soft and serious.

“You’re suppose to be better than that, Ulquiorra-kun.” Orihime thought of Aizen’s summons yesterday and how the green eyed human had resisted the hypnotic influence of Kyōka Suigetsu. He was suppose to be different.

“You’re naivety is insulting,” she told him in a playful conspiratory whisper. Her eyes were a little too bright and her smile a little too sharp. Ulquiorra shrunk away from her when she instinctively began to raise her reiatsu, as if she was threatened. His body movement and wild eyes forced Orihime to reign in her temper.

The disgust turned to bitter disappointment. Perhaps he wasn’t so different from the rest of his pathetic race after all. Shallow and hypocritical, the false shells of innocence and kindness slipped away as soon as fear reared it’s ugly head. It made even the most gentle and honest of humans into creatures of darkness. Once one of them was exposed to reality and survival, all their pretentious reserves of trust and courtesy away. The only difference between a hollow and a human was that in death they shed such vices until only the bar, ruthless necessities remained.

Ulquiorra watched his warden warily. Her moods were like quicksilver, always shifting and changing. She was a lot more dangerous than how she had originally presented herself. Then he thought of her smiles and teasing and how she called him ‘Ulquiorra-kun’ and how warm and intimate she had made him feel when she had given im his uniform. She had insinuated that she had liked his smell.

It couldn’t have all been an act, could it? His heart ached with the thought.

“I thought you were different,” he countered. Everything and everyone was so dead and cruel in Hueco Mundo. The woman’s bright countenance contrasted starkly with her sinister comrades. Or so he had thought.

Wishing to put an end to the conversation, Ulquiorra reached over to the food tray and lifted a large silver lid that had covered his plate. Once he saw the food underneath, he blanched. Pickled anchovies, red bean pasted eggs, garlic roasted marshmallows and pineapple soup … what was this stuff?! Who in their right mind would prepare food in such a way? Were those waffles smothered in toothpaste?

Orihime watched him thoughtfully, still trying to decipher Ulquiorra’s latest word. When she noticed his discomfort she smiled excitedly.

“I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of preparing your rationed meal myself.” Orihime had never done such a thing before and despite the tediousness of it all, she had found it educational.

“I can’t eat this,” he told her deadpanned. Orihime only snorted.

“Of course you can.” She waved away his words like they were a joke.

“You belong to Lord Aizen now and until he says otherwise, one of your duties is to stay alive and in good health,” she told him in a sing-songy voice. Without waiting for his response, the fourth turned and headed toward the door.

The boy may not have been so different than any other human, but perhaps he could still be of some use. The fourth thought of that Substitute Soul Reaper, Rukia Kuchiki. The confrontation in the human world had left Orihime somewhat intrigued. She knew Aizen was intrigued too. The girl was no ordinary human. Despite her fluctuating reiatsu and unremarkable techniques, the threat was very much real. Then Orihime thought of her human ward sprawled out underneath her on the couch. How easily she manipulated him and how readily he had responded to her. His heart had been beating so fast! Of course it had been beating fast when he had said his intimate farewells to Rukia Kuchiki.

The potential was there.

“I will be back in one hour,” she told Ulquiorra playfully, as a plan formed in her mind. It was going to be so much fun.

“If your meal is not gone when I return, then we can play a new game.”


	8. The Third Captain

The Third Captain

 

To Ulquiorra’s surprise, it wasn’t his warden who came and found him, hours later asleep at his small dinner table. No, it was the Soul Reaper Momo Hinamori who came to him.

“Boy, wake up,” a soft feminine voice called. A moment later, Ulquiorra felt the distinct feather touch of smooth fingers skating over his cheek. Green eyes opening, he bolted up from his slouched position over the table and immediately winced when his neck cramped. He had fallen asleep in an awkward position.

Momo laughed softly and Ulquiorra frowned at her.

“What? Did your mother make you sit there until your dinner was gone?” she asked mischievously and gestured to the barely touched food on the table. Try as he might and despite the Fourth’s threats, he hadn’t been able to eat his meal. The food combinations the woman had chosen were down right disgusting.

“Awe, go easy on Orihime. This was her first time cooking,” Momo continued, as if reading his mind.

Ulquiorra watched her warily.

“I know you. You were the former Captain of the Third Division. Momo Hinamori, one of the Soul Reapers that defected with Aizen along with Kaname Tosen,” he told her in a quiet voice.

“In the flesh.” Momo laughed and winked at him. Unlike Orihime’s giggles, Momo’s were very forced.

“My friend, Toshiro Hitsugaya spoke of you,” Ulquiorra told her suddenly and watched as Momo’s shoulders stiffened.

“You’re suppose to ask what I’m doing here,” Momo began in a much cooler voice, but Ulquiorra barely heard her.

“He misses you,” he told her softly.

Ulquiorra thought of his friend Toshiro and the strong facade he presented. The Tenth Captain had become a good friend to Ulquiorra in the short time that they had known each other. It was Toshiro that he had confided his feelings and helplessness over Kuchiki-san. It was Toshiro that had encouraged Ulquiorra to stay strong and confided his own loss of his best friend, Momo to.

In a sense Toshiro and Ulquiorra were of a kindred spirit. They both longed for someone that was out of their grasp.

His green eyes zeroed in the small female. Her face was soft and her countenance nonthreatening. She was very petite and short and her hair was held up in a bun. The white robes she wore made her look more like a bride than a warrior, but Ulquiorra wasn’t fooled. He knew she was dangerous.

Toshiro’ face flashed through Ulquiorra’s mind and his heart clenched in his chest. He knew Momo was very dear to the Tenth Captain He knew that Toshiro’s heart and spirit was broken after Momo’s apparent betrayal.

Abruptly Ulquiorra stood.

“Come away with me Hinamori-san,” the human began.

Momo’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“We can escape Las Noches together. Toshiro will be so happy to see you. I’m sure Soul Society will forgive you once they learned you left Aizen…” Ulquiorra’s voice died off as Momo’ laugher slowly flitted into the room. Unlike her other giggles, this laughter was sincere and sounded like bells. The amusement and pity in her eyes caused Ulquiorra’ throat to thicken.

“Oh you darling thing,” she spoke between giggles. Reaching up, she kissed his cheek quickly and Ulquiorra felt his cheeks redden.

“How noble you are! And handsome too!” she exclaimed and walked around him.

“You must know that I love My Lord Aizen,” she continued, all amusement dead from her voice. Ulquiorra felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and he quickly turned around to keep her in his line of vision.

“and you will come to love him too.” The solemnness of her eyes made Ulquiorra’s blood positively freeze. The atmosphere in the room thickened. Momo slowly began to advance towards him but Ulquiorra found that he couldn’t move. Her hands slowly moved up the front of his jacket.

“I can see why she likes you.” She tugged on the zipper experimentally.

“What?” Ulquiorra asked nervously and his hands clenched tightly in his pockets. Momo shot him a playful look and smirked.

“Why, Orihime of course.” Her hands skated away from his zipper and up to his broad shoulders.

“To be honest I’m surprised that you’re still alive,” she mused and brushed imaginary dust off of his shoulders.

“Why would you think that?” he asked and sucked in a shaky breath. Momo smiled heatedly at him.

“Well, because everyone knows that the Fourth hates humans,” she giggled.

Ulquiorra felt the blood rush into his ears. Seizing up, he grabbed Momo’s wrists and forcibly moved them away from his person.

“What!?” he demanded in a choked voice before backing away from her. Momo tilted her head curiously and somewhere in the back of his mind, Ulquiorra knew that all of her movements were calculate.

Studying for him for a moment longer, she finally shrugged. All of the tension left her.

“... just try to stay alive, okay?”

Ulquiorra thought of the woman. She had never given any indication that she hated him. She was always so happy and cheerful. Ulquiorra had a hard time picturing her hating anyone. He briefly thought of heavy spiritual pressure, but then dismissed it. It couldn’t be true could it?

Ulquiorra thoughts were interrupted by the sound of clanging dishes. Looking over, he saw Momo collecting his half eaten meal.

“What are you doing Hinamori-san?”

Momo paused and laughed again.

“Oh, you are really too much. Please, call me Momo.” She smiled again before completely clearing off the table.

“I’d like us to be friends, Ulquiorra,” Momo told him, while juggling all the dishes in her arms.

“Lets just call this one a favor.” She winked at him. When Orihime came back, all evidence

“Go to sleep. I know you’re tired,” she told him kindly before making her way over to the door.

“Oh and one more thing. You might want to keep our little meeting a secret,” she started and turned around.

“We wouldn’t want to upset Orihime would we? It probably wouldn’t go over well for your friends,” she teased.

“My friends are safe in the Living World,” the human argued. He thought of the face of his best friend, Chad. Then he thought of the others: Ishida-san, Arisawa-kun, Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-kun. The whole reason he had left and agreed to go with Orihime was because she promised her friend wouldn’t be hurt. They were safe, weren’t they?

“Are you sure about that?” Momo smirked.

Ulquiorra found himself unable to answer and after a moment Momo left.

When the Fourth finally returned later that night, she was disappointed to find that her human charge had fallen asleep and his meal was gone.


	9. Sleep

Sleep

 

Orihime lounged on the lone sofa in her ward’s room. With her eyes closed and her chin resting on her closed fist that was poised up with the help of the sofa arm rest, she looked quite normal. Her posture caused her uniform to crumble and her clothing to ride up and cover her hollow hole. Her face was serene.

Ulquiorra watched her warily. He thought she looked beautiful and it disturbed him.

He had no way of knowing with the serene look on her face, that the Woman was caught in a nightmare of her own making.

It was a terrible place where loud wind wailed and lightning flashed, all caught up in the swirling vortex that was her. It was a place that no one could enter. Light and color erupted and the mass amount of energy was chaotic and unrefined. It was her, but it wasn’t.

“Sorra? Sorra!” And it was her voice but it was disembodied because she had no body yet, or rather she had discarded the thing that had been her inferior form. She was a plague of color and wind and terrible howls. But it was her and she had lost her important person.

“How do you even know that I’m your brother? We aren’t human,” his voice demanded and even in the dream she knew it was a memory from long ago. It was a time when they had been newly fallen and weak and young. Dead.

“I just know!” her own voice retorted. It was an old argument and her voice was different. The vortex that was her looked all around but the voices were a memory and there was no one.

“Please don’t leave me,” she begged and wept in her memory and it hurt to remember the fragments of her important person. No matter how vile or wicked their madness was, they had always had each other. Always. But then he had been hurt. His mask had been cracked and his wounds had driven her mad in both desperation and hunger.

“You’re better than this. Remember that.”

“Don’t! Don’t say goodbye, please.” she begged even as she salivitated at the prospective meal.

“We’ll always be together, you are my heart,” the thing told her and it was tender and insane because creatures such as them had no heart; but still she responded.

“And you are mine.” And in the end they were together as she sank her teeth into his spiritual  carcass and consumed him. It was so that his flesh strengthened her and the power that came with it was reckoning in intensity. It was sickening. It was exhilarating. For one moment her heart that she claimed to have, centered her and the the important person now within her helped her grow. The form that she possessed became too small to contain and she changed. Then the sensation of her important person - her heart - imploded and the energy left her; and she was alone once more.

The vortex that was her slowly began to slow and the light inside grew thicker and condensed until the colors had merged to form a brownish red and pink hue that solidified. Once more humanoid and female in form, she broke though the mass that cocooned her. Around her face, an atricate decide of laced bones served as a new mas befitting a Vasto Lordes…

“Woman,”

A persistent voice called. Orihime’s silver eyes snapped open quickly to find two bright green eyes and a young face hovering over her. Even with her inhuman reflexes, she was too slow to completely hide the frown on her face before it once more transformed into her more traditional smiles.

“Ulquiorra-kun,’ she murmured in greeting before sleepily wiping at her eyes. The moisture she felt there made her pause. Slowly she withdrew her closed hand to study the wet streaks on her fist.

“You were crying,” Ulquiorra murmured, feeling very awkward.

“I didn’t know you could cry,” he continued, cautiously. He didn’t know why, but he felt that information was important. Gasping in surprise, he quickly stepped away from the sofa, when the Woman abruptly stood up.

“We can’t,” she told him and her voice was a strange mixture of flatness and forced cheer. Without another words, she headed over towards the door.

“Woman,” Ulquiorra tried only to be interrupted.

“My name is Orihime, Ulquiorra-kun,” she told him without turning to look back. Ulquiorra concluded that her dream must have been the strange reason for her odd behavior. She had always been so cheery before. Still…

“Don’t call me that,” he told her firmly, only to realize that he had been too slow in his retort and the Woman was gone. Feeling awkward and stupid, he scratched at his head uncertainty before glancing at the spot where she had stood only seconds before, only to freeze. The feeling of stupidity in the knowledge that he was talking to no one was quickly chased away when the raven haired teenager realized that his warden had left his usually locked door wide open in her hasty exit.

Ulquiorra was not going to let his one chance to escape slip by. An open door meant freedom.


End file.
